SIT seeks 10 days’ custody of the complainant, who after inconsistencies found in his statements and documents, has now been identified as CN Chinnaiah
SIT has been carrying out excavations at multiple sites identified by Chinnaiah, (inset) CN Chinnaiah File pic/PTI
In a bizarre turn of events, the complainant himself, who had alleged multiple murders, rapes, and burials in Dharmasthala over the past two decades, was arrested on Saturday by the SIT probing the charges, officials said. The complainant, who had so far appeared before the probe panel wearing a mask, has been identified as CN Chinnaiah, they said.
He was produced before Judicial First Class Magistrate Vijayendra, and the SIT sought 10 days’ custody for further investigation. The court granted the request, officials added. The SIT, led by Pranab Mohanty, had questioned Chinnaiah late into Friday night. Officials said the arrest followed inconsistencies found in his statements and documents. He was later taken for a medical examination after prolonged interrogation.
Chinnaiah, a former sanitation worker, claimed he had worked in Dharmasthala between 1995 and 2014, during which he was allegedly forced to bury several bodies, including those of women and minors. He alleged that some of the victims showed signs of sexual assault and had given a statement before a magistrate. As part of the probe, the SIT has been carrying out excavations at multiple sites identified by the complainant. Skeletal remains were recovered from two locations.
Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara recently told the Assembly that action could be taken against the complainant if the SIT found his allegations to be false. He also said that, so far, only ground searches had been carried out and that “the probe hasn’t even started.”
“It is true that he has been arrested and is in police custody. As the investigation is on, no information can be shared. The police (SIT) investigation is on, and they have arrested him. SIT will share the details,” Parameshwara told reporters when asked about the arrest and grounds for it. “Whether he has been arrested on suspicion or under what section, all those details are with the SIT. Based on the complainant’s complaint, a probe began. Now that he has been arrested, the investigation will continue based on his statements,” he added.
YouTuber issued notice for making false claims
Youtuber MD Sameer
The police have issued a notice to YouTuber MD Sameer, who is under the scanner of the SIT, directing him to appear before the investigating officer on August 24, officials said on Saturday. Police said the notice, pasted at his residence in Ballari, came after a Mangaluru court granted Sameer anticipatory bail on August 21. Sameer faces criminal charges over content related to the Dharmasthala case. According to police, the charges stem from a video uploaded by Sameer in which he made allegations linked to the case. The SIT is also examining his role as part of its ongoing probe, officials said. In one of his videos, Sameer featured an elderly woman, Sujata Bhat, who claimed her daughter went missing in Dharmasthala. Now, Bhat has backtracked saying her daughter never existed, and that she was forced by the YouTuber to make such a claim.
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